UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

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155257592075000

MSc Management

MSc International Management

Project (Module) Handbook MN7410 & MN7411

on Blackboard:

MN7410_2023-24_Sept: Management Project TERM 3

MN7411_2023-24_Sept: Management Project TERM 3

Academic Year 20232024

September 2023-24 intake of students

Project (Module) Handbook version 26.03.2024

CONTENTS

TOC h z t "Intense Quote,1,Title,2,Subtitle,3" PART A: PLANNING THE PROJECT PAGEREF _Toc99269454 h 31. Introduction PAGEREF _Toc99269455 h 32. Learning Objectives PAGEREF _Toc99269456 h 33. Key contacts & dates PAGEREF _Toc99269457 h 44. Most Frequently Asked Questions PAGEREF _Toc99269458 h 54.1 About the Project PAGEREF _Toc99269459 h 54.2 About Supervision PAGEREF _Toc99269460 h 64.3 About the Submission PAGEREF _Toc99269461 h 75. Pitfalls PAGEREF _Toc99269462 h 85.1 Time PAGEREF _Toc99269463 h 95.2 Project Review95.3 Backup PAGEREF _Toc99269465 h 95.4 Feasibility PAGEREF _Toc99269466 h 95.5 Systematic Literature Review-based projects PAGEREF _Toc99269467 h 105.6 Contingency Plan PAGEREF _Toc99269468 h 116. The Nature of Research PAGEREF _Toc99269469 h 127. Project Preparation and the Research Proposal PAGEREF _Toc99269470 h 128. Changing the Project Project PAGEREF _Toc99269471 h 129. Project Supervision PAGEREF _Toc99269472 h 139.1 The Supervisors Role PAGEREF _Toc99269473 h 149.2 Student responsibilities PAGEREF _Toc99269474 h 1410. Project resubmission PAGEREF _Toc99269475 h 1511. Client Relationships PAGEREF _Toc99269476 h 15PART B: STRUCTURE, STYLE AND FORMAT OF THE PROJECT PAGEREF _Toc99269477 h 171. Structure PAGEREF _Toc99269478 h 171.1. Title Page PAGEREF _Toc99269479 h 171.2. Table of contents PAGEREF _Toc99269480 h 181.3. Acknowledgements PAGEREF _Toc99269481 h 181.4. Abstract PAGEREF _Toc99269482 h 181.5. Key to abbreviations PAGEREF _Toc99269483 h 181.6. Main body of the project PAGEREF _Toc99269484 h 181.7. References PAGEREF _Toc99269485 h 181.8. Appendices PAGEREF _Toc99269486 h 192. Format PAGEREF _Toc99269487 h 20PART C: ASSESSMENT CRITERIA22

Appendix A: Project Title Page PAGEREF _Toc99269489 h 26Appendix B: Project Table of Contents Format PAGEREF _Toc99269490 h 27Appendix C: Gaining Research Ethics Approval PAGEREF _Toc99269491 h 28Appendix D: Participant Information Sheet PAGEREF _Toc99269492 h 30Appendix E: Interview Consent Form PAGEREF _Toc99269493 h 33Appendix F: Access Letter PAGEREF _Toc99269494 h 34Appendix G: Project Pro-Forma_____________________________________________________ PAGEREF _Toc99269495 h 35Appendix H: Project Checklist ___________________________________________________________37

Appendix I: Suggested Readings ____________________________________________________ 38

PART A: PLANNING THE PROJECTright155903Important Notice!

Please pay attention to the Attendance team of the School of Businesss note below:

If you have further concerns, you can speak tothe Attendance Team in the School of Business: ulsb.attendance@le.ac.ukorthe Visas team:visas@leicester.ac.uk.

This webpage also has information about the Graduate route:https://uniofleicester.sharepoint.com/sites/visa/SitePages/After-your-studies.aspx

00Important Notice!

Please pay attention to the Attendance team of the School of Businesss note below:

If you have further concerns, you can speak tothe Attendance Team in the School of Business: ulsb.attendance@le.ac.ukorthe Visas team:visas@leicester.ac.uk.

This webpage also has information about the Graduate route:https://uniofleicester.sharepoint.com/sites/visa/SitePages/After-your-studies.aspx

1. IntroductionThe final stage of the MSc programme is concerned exclusively with a written project of 10,000 words (+/- 10 % for the main body of the project, excluding Title Page, Contents, Acknowledgements, Abstract, References and Appendices) which provides details of individual research into a management or organizational issue. This project will need to contain an extended Executive Summary/Abstract as well as more technical information relating to the study undertaken. The project needs to be entirely new: Do not copy text from your Research Methods assignment MN7408 or any other of your previous module assessments into your project since this would be treated as (self-)plagiarism.

The project will enable course members to undertake a sustained investigation in an area of their choice in the field of management and organization studies. It provides an opportunity for course members to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and competencies acquired during the taught elements of the course. For most students this will involve diagnosing a management problem, devising a research project that will provide an evidence-base for the evaluation of solutions and development of realistic, acceptable recommendations for action. Typically, this could be obtained via primary empirical investigation. For example, questionnaires or interviews might be used to gather data for a particular research problem.

If you plan to design and use a questionnaire survey, you may find this software useful (Jisc online surveys): https://www.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/ If you want to do such a Jisc online survey, please email: dcevents@le.ac.ukand ask them to open an account for you for doing a Jisc online survey.

Alternatively, the research might involve using secondary data in the form of documentary analysis, a re-evaluation of secondary datasets or a combination of both. Whatever the approach, it is crucial that the project contributes something to the existing literature: that new data/ideas are generated about a particular subject area. Whether this is undertaken through systematic analysis of literature-based sources or through the generation of data via empirical investigation or a combination of various methods is largely immaterial.

The aim of this handbook is to help you to complete your project to the highest standards and to facilitate your learning process. You should also discuss any aspects you are unsure about with your supervisor, in the first instance, and with the project module leader where doubt remains.

2. Learning ObjectivesThe project provides an opportunity for course members to:

Identify a major management issue associated with a particular organisational topic or theme;

Present a detailed description of the chosen case study, articulating a key management issue;

Systematically analyse the issue identified above and incorporate it into a working plan to manage and/or resolve it;

Distinguish different forms of data and demonstrate their usages to investigate different research questions;

Produce an accurate and incisive project using appropriate methods of research, analysis and presentation;

Review and reflect on the research process, displaying awareness both of the limitations of the project and any attendant ethical issues.

3. Key contacts & datesContacts:

MN7410 Module Leader: Dr Hoa Do (hoa.do@leicester.ac.uk) & MN7411 Module Leader: Dr Feng Jiang (fj59@leicester.ac.uk) for issues relating to the organization of supervision; the learning materials on Blackboard; general advice about the module.

Supervisor: You are allocated, later in April 2024, your own supervisor. Please see Point 9 below. Your supervisor is your first point of contact regarding issues of writing the management project.

The School of Business Office: ulsb.pgtstudy@le.ac.uk for administrative issues relating to the project and / or the project module; administrative Blackboard inquiries; submission of work through Blackboard, or similar.

Key Project Dates:

Lecture 1: 29 April 2024 (Please check your UoL timetable): The lecture introduces the module Management Project, it outlines the Project Handbook, and it discusses how to fill in the Project Pro-Forma (Appendix G). A recording of the lecture will be made available from Blackboard in the usual place of lecture recordings as well as from the Learning Materials section.

Please submit your Project Pro-Forma (Appendix G, see below) to us so that we can allocate a supervisor to you. Please submit the Pro-Forma through the Blackboard portal for the Project Pro-Forma by to be 6 May 2024 at 00:00am. The portal opens on 28 March 2023. You will find this portal on Blackboard under the following module codes:

MN7410_2023-24_Sept: Management Project TERM 3

MN7411_2023-24_Sept: Management Project TERM 3

(If you cannot find the portal, please contact the School Office under email: ulsb.pgtstudy@le.ac.uk )

You will be informed of your allocated supervisor soon afterwards (most likely during week starting w/c 13 May 2024).

In the w/c 20 May 2024: Please aim to make a first contact, by email, with your allocated supervisor by sending them a copy of your Project Pro-Forma (Appendix G). Then please arrange meetings with your supervisor and stay in contact with them.

Submission of Ethics Form: All students need to apply for ethics online approval. Before you begin your research or if your research design changes you need to (re-)apply. Please see Appendix C (project handbook) for details and for the penalties if you fail to secure ethics approval. Suggested date to submit ethics application, at latest please aim at: 10 June 2024: Your supervisor is normally your ethics authorizer. Please do not enter the name of the module leader (Sigmund Wagner-Tsukamoto) into your ethics online application but please enter your supervisors name.

Submission deadline of the Management Project: 25 September 2024, 15.00pm (UK-time).

Announcement of confirmed project mark to you: To be confirmed at the latest, following exam board meetings.

4. Most Frequently Asked QuestionsDepending on your educational background and experiences, some of you may have already prepared projects for other courses of study. For those that have written projects previously you will find that many of your experiences will prove valuable as you approach your MSc project. However, it is likely that some aspects of the project process here at the University of Leicester will differ from elsewhere.

If you have not written a project before there is no need to worry. You will receive guidance and advice throughout the process from a supervisor who will be assigned to advise you on all aspects of the process.

All of the advice contained in this Handbook is equally relevant to students writing a project for the first time as it is to those who have done project type work before. Remember, the project is your piece of work. How you approach your project is largely your responsibility. Others, including supervisors, fellow students and lecturers will be able to advise and discuss your work with you but you must manage and plan your project yourself. Here is a list of questions that students often ask us each year

4.1 About the ProjectWhat makes a good project? Although there is no one set of definitive criteria, work that is original, relevant, well written, critically informed and interesting tends to make a good project. Remember that you will be living with your project for an almost five-month period so choose a topic that is going to keep you engaged and interested.

How long should my project be? 10,000 words (+/- 10 %). The word limit covers the main part of your project (excluding Title Page, Acknowledgements, Contents, Abstract, References and Appendices)

What should I do if I am having problems keeping to the word limit? Discuss this with your supervisor at the earliest opportunity.

Does my project need to be an original piece of work? Yes. It must be your own work and must not have been submitted elsewhere. Do avoid plagiarism! Do not copy from any previous of your assessments too, including your research proposal from MN7408 and similar modules. You will be required to complete a declaration form to confirm this. See your MSc handbook for further details on academic honesty and plagiarism.

Must my project include new empirical research? Usually yes, but not necessarily. Many MSc projects involve some primary data collection. In certain circumstances you may wish to adopt a different approach e.g. a reassessment of previous research data (secondary data analysis). Your supervisor will be able to advise you on this.

Can I do a literature-based project? No, students are encouraged to develop their comprehensive research skills, i.e., research design skills, analytical techniques, finding interpretations skills, literature review skills. Therefore, a literature-based project is not allowed students to develop all these skills. Please discuss it first with your supervisor.

Can I look at a past project to get an idea of what is expected? Yes. A selection of non-confidential projects is available on the library website (http://dissertations.le.ac.uk/) but these are a guide only. Marks/grades are not disclosed for these projects.

What subjects are allowed? Broadly any area related to one or more of the subjects covered on the course.

Are there any restrictions on my choice of topic? You must also be aware that your supervisor needs to be willing to approve your project topic and provide you with support. Your proposed research must also meet the ethical standards required of all research at the University of Leicester.

Whose role is it to identify a project? You must do this yourself. Staff will try to help by giving some ideas of research areas and you should use the guidance provided by this handbook and given in the project workshops to help you.

Will the School of Business offer any Company-based projects? No. If you are able to find a company that will allow you access that is great but it is not something the School can organise for you.

Will the School of Business pay any expenses incurred in doing my project? No. You should bear this in mind when selecting your project topic and methodology.

4.2 About SupervisionDo I need a supervisor? Yes, without a supervisor your work cannot be marked.

How do I get a supervisor? Supervisors will be allocated by the MSc Project Module Leader.

Can I change my mind about my topic once I have been allocated a supervisor? This is not encouraged but can be done with the consent of the supervisor. Ethical approval must be sought for the final topic.

How do supervisors select their projects? Supervisors are allocated student projects that are in an appropriate area of research.

What help can I expect from my supervisor? Your supervisor will assist and monitor you in the progression of your project. The supervisor is responsible for supervising the process of the project and not necessarily the content. The role of the supervisor is largely to advise and not to instruct the student what to do at the different stages of the process.

How do I contact my supervisor? Unless the supervisor stipulates otherwise please use e-mail to make appointments.

What if I miss an appointment? You should advise your supervisor as soon as possible if you are unable to keep an appointment. Do not just fail to turn up, because you have a limited amount of contact time available and cannot afford to lose it.

What if I do not get on with my supervisor? Try to resolve any difficulties that arise on a face-to-face basis at an early stage. See your Project Module Leader if you still have problems.

Will my supervisor be available throughout the summer? Supervisors will inform you when they are going to be away from the University for a long period. These dates need to be worked into your research plan.

Can I get a second opinion from a different supervisor? If you are having difficulties with your supervisor please contact the MSc Project Module Leader or MSc Programme Leader.

4.3 About the SubmissionAre there any requirements regarding the format of my submitted project? Yes. Details of the format are provided in this handbook.

Can I submit my project by e-mail or fax? No, under no circumstances is this acceptable.

How many copies do I have to submit? ONE electronic copy (via Blackboard). Closer to the submission date of your project, the Full-time office will confirm with you the exact procedure of how you should submit.

What is the deadline for submission of the project? 25 September 2024, 15:00pm (UK-time)

Is it possible to get an extension to the deadline? Extensions are dealt with in the same way as for your other course assignments (see mitigating circumstances in the course handbook). If you are unsure, please contact the Full-time Office at ulsb.pgtstudy@leicester.ac.ukWhat are the consequences of getting an extension? Graduation is in January 2024 (date t.b.c.). Students cannot graduate in January 2024 if they do not submit the project on time. Graduation would then not be until July 2024 if the student had successfully passed all the relevant modules (date t.b.c.)

What are the consequences of handing the project in late without an extension? The rules in your handbook governing the late submission of assignments apply to the late submission of the project.

Who will mark my project? Your project supervisor and a second marker.

How will it be graded? Exactly the same as your assignments.

Will I get feedback? You will get feedback throughout the project process from your supervisor.

Will I get my project back? No, if you want your own copy make sure you keep a spare copy of your work.

When will I get the results? The exam board meets in late autumn 2024 and your project results will be available following this meeting, at the latest by early December 2024.

What happens if I fail the project? Dependent upon the circumstances you may be given an opportunity to resubmit an improved version of the project.

Do I need to reference the work of others in my project? Of course. You always need to reference work accurately and consistently. Failure to reference the work of others may result in an accusation of plagiarism. The issue of plagiarism is covered in the MSc Handbook. Be careful to avoid poor academic practice and self-plagiarism. The latter means copying text from your previous course work into the project which you must avoid. Your project needs to be an entirely new piece of work. Please also do not use previous work on research methods modules, where you may have written a research proposal.

How long do I need to keep the data that I collected? Please note that all data collected through questionnaires (in either paper or electronic format) or interviews (i.e. written interview notes or audio/video recordings and interview transcripts) must be retained by the student until graduation. The markers may request access to interview transcripts and questionnaires and you should be in a position to provide access to these materials at reasonable notice.

5. PitfallsThe research project is the culmination of the MSc: as such, it presents a considerable challenge. In our experience there are a number of common difficulties encountered by students. This section seeks to outline various issues which need careful consideration.

5.1 TimeThe preparation of the project takes place within strict time constraints. This calls for careful and methodical planning by students. A research project has a number of stages which are both resource and labour intensive. It requires careful management to allow for ample time to review the literature, identify an appropriate methodology, collect sufficient data, conduct meaningful analysis and finally to write up the final version of the project. It is very easy to overrun and not to allow sufficient time to write and edit the project.

5.2 Project ReviewPartly as a consequence of poor time management, but also as a result of the challenges of producing an extended piece of scholarly work, many students encounter problems with the fluency and structure of their projects. It is vital, as a part of good research practice, to allow time to self-review a project prior to submission. For students writing in a second language, this stage is particularly important and extra attention should be paid to it. It is also always a good idea to ask a friend or get a professional copy editor to read through your work to see if the structure is logical and the content clear and concise but please remember that they should act as a proof reader only as opposed to actually helping you to write your work. The latter would be an instance of academic dishonesty.

5.3 BackupWe strongly recommend that you save all work to your UoL account to ensure that your work is regularly backed-up. Relying on USB sticks, laptops and external hard drives without backing up your work can lead to problems meeting the deadline. Computers may fail, be stolen or get lost. Make sure to have your data in at least two physically different places and get into the habit of backing up regularly, for example by always copying your work to a folder on the universitys x-drive at the end of a day or by using cloud storage. If you do backup your work to a USB stick, make sure to do so regularly and keep your USB stick on a different place than your computer.

5.4 FeasibilityThe limitations of time that are placed on an MSc project require that a student identifies a realistic project objective. In particular, the student needs to consider in some detail how they will obtain their primary or secondary data. This raises the issue of access. Securing access to gather data will require consent from staff in the organisation/s you are interested in or from the participants you intend to collect data from. Indeed, you may require the consent of senior management, whether the research focuses on their activities or not. And even if data are to be gathered through a postal or online questionnaire, so that you do not actually visit the organisation/s in question, this will need considerable thought as to the design, the timing, the cost and the mechanism for managing responses. Think carefully about how you are going to gain access to the type and number of participants you wish to research or to the documents / secondary datasets / literature that you intend to analyse. Questionnaires for example typically require large numbers of responses and correct sampling to be statistically valid, whereas interviewing will require you to build up relationships with a smaller, but more specialised group of respondents. In short, many projects encounter serious difficulties through unrealistic objectives being coupled with an inability to operationalise the idea into a practical research plan.

In brief, you must ensure that any research you conduct is carefully planned to avoid doing any harm of any kind to your research subjects, yourself, members of the general public or the university. For example, if an interviewee expresses a controversial and/or critical opinion of their employer, will the inclusion of this information in your project compromise that persons future employment? Such problems are most commonly dealt with by ensuring that all research-related information is held anonymously (i.e. in a manner that cannot be linked back to a named individual) and securely (on a password protected University network drive). However, circumstances vary between projects and subjects so you will need to take advice from your supervisor to ensure ethical compliance.

5.5 Systematic Literature Review-based projectsOn first consideration, a systematic, theory-led literature-based project might look like an easy option. It might look to be an approach which could allow one to consider in-depth the really big questions, and to bypass all the problems involved in primary empirical research. It would appear solely to involve the use of skills that you have already developed in writing your module assignments. However, such understandings would be ill-conceived. The project is not a long essay. It is not your opportunity simply to write a lot on a particular topic. Regardless of which type of project research you would be undertaking you are expected to have clear research questions followed by research design, sampling and methods that are presented in detail and that clearly are connected to your research questions. In all types of projects, you should be following the same structure for the project: introduction, literature review, methods, results, and discussion/conclusion.

Past experience has shown that a significant number of students who have opted to undertake entirely literature-based research projects have encountered serious difficulties. This is because, very often, such projects are undertaken for the wrong reasons: they are approached as extended essays which simply review the existing literature on a topic. Or they take the form of descriptive commentaries on broad topics such as a countrys Vocational education and training (VET) system. Such approaches fail to meet our expectations from the project.

With the project you are being assessed on your ability to find out something new about a particular topic. Typically, this could be obtained via primary empirical investigation. For example, questionnaires or interviews might be used to gather data for a particular research problem. Alternatively, the research might involve a systematic analysis of documentary sources or a re-evaluation and cross-analysis of secondary data extracted from existing literature. Whatever the approach, it is crucial that the project contributes something to the existing literature: that new data/ideas are generated about a particular subject area. Whether this is undertaken through, primarily, systematic analysis of literature-based sources, or primarily through the generation of data via empirical investigation, is largely immaterial.

Another main issue with literature-based projects is that, typically, the topics covered are too broad - the research questions are not focused sharply enough. For example, titles such as The Role of Training in the Retail Industry, The VET System of Hong Kongor The Role of Performance Appraisal point towards very large sets of issues, issues to which it would be difficult to do justice even if you were writing a full-length book. These titles do little to tell the reader about the specific issues, relationships and debates that will be explored: they point towards description rather than academic analysis. By contrast, a title such as The Role of Performance Appraisal in a Hierarchical Organisational Structure: The Case of Organisation X does considerably more to spell out the relationship that will be analysed (between organisational structure and performance appraisal), and it also provides a context for the research (organisation X). Through providing the central academic relationship and context in this way, the title provides a clear focus to the research, and highlights from the outset that this will most likely contain analysis, not just description. However, even this topic could be improved further if it was expressed as a question: What is it that we want to find out about the role of performance appraisal in hierarchical organisations?

This is not to outlaw theory-led projects, but rather to highlight some of the issues that should be heeded when considering the literature-based approach. In fact, these issues apply to all approaches to the project. Indeed, it would be equally problematic if, after conducting extensive empirical research, you did not apply the data collected to the broader academic debates relating to the subject area. Without such analysis, no contribution would be made to the existing literature, and the project would most likely take the form of a piece of market-research which deals solely with the day-to-day immediate concerns of the context in which it was conducted.

Thus, to summarise: if you do pick the literature-based approach, be aware that this is not an easy option. You will be expected to make a contribution to the existing literature through systematic academic analysis. Secondly, since primary empirical research involves the generation of new data, it may well be easier to make a contribution to the existing literature using this approach. However, in order to avoid your project ending up as a piece of market research, the data collected must be used in the analysis of broader academic themes, issues and debates. Thirdly, think carefully about how you formulate your central research question. A good title will point towards a relationship or set of relationships and a context for the research. It will indicate to the reader from the outset that your project isnt simply about something; it should show that your project aims to move knowledge forward within a tightly-specified subject area by considering a central research question.

5.6 Contingency PlanMany students, through no fault of their own, experience problems over access to a data set midway through a research project for example, an organisation may get taken over or go out of business, or access may simply not materialise. Certain types of participants might be very difficult to access over the summer. Ask yourself whether your respondents are likely to be away on vacation, or likely to move away before you can complete your research. Any thorough research plan will consider this risk and will make provision for a contingency plan.

6. The Nature of ResearchWhat is research? Research is a very wide concept and could include such simple activities as finding out the time of the next train to London or identifying a suitable postgraduate course. Similarly, the collection of data to discover, for example, the age, sex and occupation distribution of MSc students may have useful potential, but without analysis they are just data. These data have to be analysed to be meaningful in terms of the aims, objectives and hypotheses of the research and the managerial problems being addressed in the project.

Therefore, MSc research goes beyond fact gathering. It involves analysis. This analysis may produce explanations, relationships, comparisons, predictions or theories. Research follows the formulation of an appropriate research question. For example, What are the implementation issues around new systems of formal workplace training? or Why has performance management become so significant within many contemporary organisations?

These questions require effective information gathering but also the development of understanding. This will involve the examination of existing theories, models and conceptual ideas and the use of appropriate methodology to gather useful information and the critical analysis of these data. Good MSc research may provide solutions to specific management or marketing problems. Alternatively, it might set out to confirm or refute pre-existing assumptions.

7. Project Preparation and the Research ProposalAs should by now be clear, perhaps the single most important aspect to assist you in preparing for the project is the need to plan in advance. It is for this reason that we run a dedicated 15 credit Research methods Module which provides you with all the information and skills you need to complete this assignment successfully.

8. Changing the ProjectDuring your work on the Research Proposal and the Project your research project will become more focused and refined. This type of change is considered minor and is a normal and expected part of the process. In some circumstances, however, you may wish to change your project more substantially. While it is possible to change the project at any stage of the project process, you should carefully consider the implications of such change. If you find that you need to change the project you should discuss the changes with your project supervisor.

If you wish to change your project after you received the ethics approval, you may have to reapply for the ethics approval with the new project. You must reapply for the ethics approval if you change any of the following:

Your topic

Your population and/or sample

Your data collection method

9. Project SupervisionAll project students are allocated a member of academic staff to supervise their project. Experience suggests that students who proactively and sensibly manage their relationship with their supervisors tend to perform well in their projects. As a result, we strongly recommend that you work hard to make best use of your supervisor:

Ask them to comment on drafts and give them enough time to do so.

Use them as a sounding board to brainstorm your analysis.

Bring your own suggestions to meetings rather than rely on their input.

Do not

Ask your supervisor questions the answers to which you could easily find yourself, this wastes precious project supervision time.

Ignore their feedback or fail to make changes where appropriate. Remember, you do not have to agree with changes your supervisor suggests but you do have to consider how you can overcome their objections to make your work more robust.

Fail to prepare for supervisions.

Expect them to do your work for you.

If you experience a problem with your supervisor, we ask that you try and resolve this directly with them. If you cannot work it out, talk to the MN7410/MN7411 module leader. Please do not approach other members of academic staff (or the staff in the School of Business Office) for a second opinion or with a request to change your supervisor. Once the initial supervisor allocation is made, supervisors will only be reallocated (by the MN7410/MN7411 module leader) in the most serious of circumstances.

The time allocated for project supervisions is two hours across the course of the module. These can be done in person or via email, phone, Teams, Skype, Zoom, etc. Supervisors will also answer reasonable queries via email or in office hours but will not allow these mediums to become de facto supervisions. It is up to you to reach agreement with your supervisor regarding timing and supervision session format. It is also your responsibility to keep in touch with your supervisor throughout the project process including arranging the initial meeting not vice versa. Supervisors will not chase you if you fail to make contact, fail to attend appointments, fail to submit your ethics form, or fail to meet deadlines.

9.1 The Supervisors RoleAssess the feasibility of your research project by reviewing your project Pro-Forma (Appendix G of this handbook). You are asked to complete this form and submit it to through Blackboard by 6 May 2024. in preparation for the first meeting with your supervisor, and submit it directly to them via email. The Pro-Forma asks you to identify your topic area, some of the literature you will use and your proposed methods. An electronic copy is available on Blackboard and is marked Project Pro-Forma (Appendix G).

Assist you in completing the Research Ethics Approval process. See section 10.6 Research Ethics and online Ethical Approval procedure below.

Give feedback on the process of research and the quality of your academic work. Your supervisor will oversee your research and give general commentary on the standards you are attaining and where you need to improve.

Please note: it is not the role of the supervisor to tell you exactly what to do at the different stages of the research process and it impossible to judge the mark a piece will achieve until it is complete and submitted. Supervisors will offer broad guidance but you are expected to use knowledge gained from your other modules, the information in this handbook, and independent study, to structure and manage your own research.

Provide written feedback on one draft of up to two chapters or 40% of your project. Students should allow at least three weeks for supervisors to provide feedback on drafted work.

Students should understand that it is NOT the supervisors responsibility to:

Provide a title, focus or content for the project.

Organise access to external organisations.

Read multiple versions of your draft.

Proofread your project.

All of these are your responsibility. Students are strongly advised to maintain contact with their supervisors throughout the period of the project. The ultimate responsibility for the management of the project lies with the student.

9.2 Student responsibilitiesThere are a number of things you can do to ensure a constructive relationship with your supervisor:

Keep your supervisor informed about any problems or issues with your project.

Allow plenty of time to arrange an appointment with your supervisor. It is often difficult for supervisors to make meetings at short notice.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have received your allocated amount of supervision.

Allow sufficient time for your supervisor to read through and provide feedback on your extended outline. Expect a lead time of up to 3 weeks for feedback.

Follow the advice of your supervisor.

You are required to keep a record of your meetings with your supervisor. This should include a record of the key issues discussed and a list of recommended actions or activities that you need to undertake.

10. Project resubmissionIf you fail the project, dependent upon the circumstances, you may be given a further opportunity to submit your project (i.e. a resubmission). The resubmission will be evaluated against the Project assessment criteria and you will need to clearly demonstrate how you have responded to the feedback you have received from all markers who reviewed your first submission.

Your project supervisor will assist and monitor you in the progression of your resubmission. The supervisor is responsible for supervising the process of the resubmission and not necessarily the content. The role of the supervisor is largely to advise and not to instruct the student what to do at the different stages of the process.

To assist the markers assessing the resubmission, you should include within your resubmitted project an open letter to the markers. Within this letter you should provide a detailed response to the feedback and clearly show how you have addressed the comments. The letter is not considered part of your word count. The letter should be placed after your title page.

The maximum mark that can be awarded on a resubmission is 50%.

11. Client RelationshipsSome projects will be organisation-based: hence the relationship that is established between the researcher and the organisation will be extremely important. In several respects this relationship resembles that of consultant and client. The following information is aimed at maximising the opportunities that such a research project offers.

The "consultantclient" relationship must be understood by both parties to achieve satisfactory results. This may require that the organisation investigates the student as well as vice versa. A comparison of the clients definition of the project and the researchers definition provides the basis of a sound working relationship throughout the project. Such a comparison requires discussion and negotiation. A good tip is to complete a contact report or keep a diary of actions agreed to enable you to see how the project is evolving. In some instances, it is advisable to send details of the contact report to the client so that all parties are aware of what has been agreed and how the work is progressing.

It will be important to establish the boundaries of the research into the organisation from the outset. This will probably involve investigation into the organisations resources including access to data and people. Confidentiality needs to be discussed in terms of what is acceptable to the organisation and how much access to information the researcher will have.

Some clients ask the student to sign a confidentiality agreement. This is perfectly acceptable, though you should show the agreement to your supervisor before signing it. Some agreements, if held to the letter of the contract, would mean that the supervisor couldnt mark the project.

In addition to the key person in the client organisation there may be further participants involved:

Liaison officers

Employees doing work related to your project

Managers and other employees who will act as respondents, be asked to supply documents or consulted on various aspects of the project

Managers and other employees who are not involved in the project but would like to know about it

Managers and other employees who may be affected if the recommendations are implemented.

Relationships with all these people must be considered in advance and managed according to the Universitys standards for ethical research.

Access to information is a basic issue. When a client withholds access to information for whatever reason, and it is deemed that this information concerns the problems the project seeks to address, the researcher must attempt to negotiate with the client. It must also be remembered that clients often forget to pass on some information or consider it unimportant or unreliable even though the researcher may find it useful.

PART B: STRUCTURE, STYLE AND FORMAT OF THE PROJECT1. StructureThe precise structure of a project in terms of chapter headings can vary from one project to another. Most projects, however, will be likely to include the following elements: total word count for all of the main chapters of your management project: 10,000 words (+/- 10%).

Title page, contents list, acknowledgements, abstract, references list, and appendices do not count towards the word limit of 10,000 words (+/- 10%).

Elements of a project Required or optional Standard form Size

Title Page Required See Appendix 1 page

Table of contents Required See Appendix As necessary

Acknowledgements Optional No standard form No longer than 1 page

Abstract Required No standard form No longer than 1 page

Chapter 1. Introduction Required No standard form ~10% of the total word count

Chapter 2. Literature review Required No standard form ~30% of the total word count

Chapter 3. Data and methods Required No standard form ~10% of the total word count

Chapter 4. Results Required No standard form ~30% of the total word count

Chapter 5. Discussion and conclusions Required No standard form ~20% of the total word count

References Required As necessary

Appendices Required / optional No standard form As necessary

1.1. Title PageThe project title is important as it needs to indicate quite clearly what the project is about. It is useful when considering a title to also bear in mind how the work may be indexed and coded for information storage and retrieval purposes (so think about the key words the title should incorporate). Abbreviations and specialist jargon should be avoided. See Appendix A for a sample layout of the title page.

Some projects will present information that either the sponsoring organisation or the researcher considers confidential. If this is the case the title page of the project should be clearly marked CONFIDENTIAL.

The University will treat all such information in confidence and will undertake not to pass on confidential information to a third party. The project will be stored securely and will not be published in the library or presented for public viewing without the written permission of the student. In these circumstances the work will only be made available to the project supervisor, the second marker and the external examiners.

1.2. Table of contentsA table of the various chapters and sections of a project must be included together with clear page numbers for each of these. Well documented contents will quickly show any reader the scope and direction of the work. See Appendix B for a sample layout of the contents page.

1.3. AcknowledgementsA brief statement acknowledging the help and contributions of, for example, collaborating firms, managers, supervisor and peers, if relevant.

1.4. AbstractThe Abstract should be on one side of A4 paper and should contain:

An introduction telling the reader what the project is about (its research aims, objectives and questions), why these issues are important and the projects terms of reference

A description of the literature reviewed

An overview of the methodological approach and data analysis technique

A summary of main findings, conclusions, recommendations

1.5. Key to abbreviationsIf you use any abbreviations that a lay person may not be expected to know, you must provide a key to abbreviations. Please note that you can only use common abbreviations (e.g., common in your profession or your organisation). Do not use your own abbreviations (e.g., do not invent abbreviations for the names of theories).

The section should bear the heading KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS.

1.6. Main body of the projectThe main body of the project consists of several chapters. They count for 10,000 word (+/- 10%).

For an empirical project the chapters are: Chapter 1 Introduction, Chapter 2 Literature review and theory, Chapter 3 Data and methods, Chapter 4 Results, Chapter 5 Discussion and conclusions. The guidance on the content of these chapters is provided in the Project Module materials.

1.7. ReferencesThe section should provide the list of references documenting all sources cited directly or indirectly in the text of the project. The section should bear the heading REFERENCES.

Note that the list of references is not a bibliography and hence should not include any sources that have not been cited in the text.

There must be the perfect correspondence between the in-text citations and the list of references, so that every source cited in the text of the project must be documented in the list of references, and every source included in the list of references must be cited in the text.

If your project is organisation-based, remember to properly reference any organisation documents that you cite in the text.

The list of references must follow the Harvard referencing format. Further details on referencing can be found in your MSc programme handbook and at the University of Leicester Library website. Please note again that material sourced from the Internet needs to be referenced, and if you are in any doubt about referencing please discuss this with your supervisor.

1.8. AppendicesThe appendices include the required and the optional appendices. Please do not include in the appendices any information that is essential to the content of the main body of the project. As a rule of thumb, imagine how your project would read if the appendices were taken out. If the substance of your project would be affected, then consider bringing the material from the appendices into the main body of the project.

Each appendix should present only one item, e.g., a participant information sheet, an interview schedule, a photograph, a table.

Appendices should be numbered alphabetically, e.g., Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C, and should bear a descriptive title, e.g., Appendix A: Participant Information Sheet. The appendices should be referred to at appropriate points in the project text.

The required appendices

The appendices should include the copies of the following documents, if and as applicable:

the Ethical Approval Letter which you received when your supervisor approved your ethics application,

letter requesting access to research site (see Appendix F for a template),

participant information sheet (see Appendix D for a template),

informed consent form for interviews (see Appendix E for a template),

questionnaire,

interview guide,

focus group guide,

observation guide.

When you have your final project draft ready please use the checklist in Appendix H to make sure that you included everything you need!

The optional appendices

The appendices may include any other supplementary materials that are not essential to your project but are useful for illustrative purposes. Examples include a detailed table of statistics, interview transcripts, etc.

2. FormatThe project should be word processed. The format requirements are as follows:

Page size A4 paper (210 mm x 297 mm) Microsoft Word or PDF format.

Page orientation Portrait throughout. Allowable exception: a table can be presented in landscape orientation, if the table otherwise will not fit on a single page

Margins 20mm should be used

Line spacing Double line spacing should be used for typescript, except for indented quotations where single spacing may be used

Text alignment All text must be aligned with the left margin. Do not use justified alignment (i.e. alignment with both the left and the right margins).The two exceptions are (1) first level headings, which should be centred on the page (as described below) and (2) text within tables and figures, which can be aligned in accordance with your preferences for better readability.

Font size 12

Font type Arial or Times New Roman

Font colour Black throughout

Font style Do not use underline anywhere in the text. Do not use italics for quotations, unless there are italics in the original. For emphasis, only use italics (not bold face). Do not emphasise more than a sentence fragment; do not overuse emphasis. Use bold face only for headings (e.g., chapter, section, table, figure, or appendix heading)

Pagination Pages must be numbered consecutively throughout the text. Page numbers shall be located centrally at the bottom of each page.

Page breaks Each element of the project must begin on a new page (e.g., each chapter and each appendix should begin on a new page)

Word count 10,000 words long (+/- 10 %). Word count includes everything except for: Title Page, Contents, Acknowledgement (if used), List of Abbreviations (if used), Abstract, List of References and Appendices

Abbreviations Any abbreviations used should be those in normal use. You should decipher any abbreviation the first time you use it in the text. Where necessary a key to abbreviations should be provided

Title page The front cover should be a title page laid out as in Appendix B of this Handbook. The title page must include the following information:

The full title of the project.

The student number of the author.

The month and year of submission.

The qualification for which the project is submitted.

If the project contains confidential information, this should be indicated by the student on the title page.

Headings Each part of the project, with the exception of the title page, should be preceded by a heading. The three levels of headings should be used, as follows:

First level heading: for Table of contents, Acknowledgements, Abstract / Executive Summary, Key to abbreviations, Chapter titles, References, and each Appendix title. These should be in all capital letters, bold, centred on the page. For example:

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION

Second level headings for sections within chapters. These should be in sentence case, bold, aligned with the left margin and numbered consecutively within the chapter. For example, the sections within Chapter 1 will be numbered as follows: first section 1.1, second section 1.2, third section 1.3; within Chapter 2: first section 2.1., second section 2.2, third section 2.3, and so forth. For example:

3.1. Data

Third level headings for sub-sections within sections within chapters. These should be in sentence case, bold, aligned with the left margins and numbered consecutively within the sections as follows: first subsection within the first section of Chapter 1 1.1.1, second subsection 1.1.2, third subsection 1.1.3, etc. For example

3.1.2. Sample

Do not use any additional level headings (i.e. do not create sub-subsections within subsections within sections).

Tables and figures Each table and figure should be preceded by a heading, including the word Table or Figure, the table/figure number and the meaningful title. The heading should be in sentence case, bold, centred on the page. For example:

Table 1. Descriptive statistics for the variables used in the analysis

All tables should be numbered consecutively throughout the text. All figures should be numbered consecutively throughout the text.

Footnotes Do not use footnotes unless absolutely necessary. (Remember also that your referencing must be in the Harvard referencing format and therefore must not use footnote referencing.)

Endnotes Do not use endnotes

Part C: Assessment Criteria

Each project will be assessed by your project supervisor and a second marker to ensure that consistent and appropriate standards of marking are being applied. A sample of projects will also be viewed by the external examiners for MSc Management program to further check the marking standards. All projects are judged along five broad criteria:

1. The ability to construct a project with clear, coherent and well defended research questions.

2. The ability to discuss and critique relevant literature.

3. The ability to discuss and justify the methods used.

4. The ability to discuss the relation between your research and previous research.

5. The ability to evaluate the practical implications and any limitations of your project.

To meet these criteria, a good project will: Focus on a topic that is of interest to business and management studies scholars. Consider and address any ethical issues arising from the research. Clearly explain and defend its research questions. Critically review appropriate literature to make its contribution clear. Contain a well-defended and appropriate methodology. Make clear conclusions based on robust data and analysis, whether primary data, or secondary date, or a literature-based, theory-led study. Offer critical reflections on its own practical implications and any limitations. Contain accurate referencing throughout. Be well-written, logically structured and carefully presented. Beyond the above considerations, the project will be marked in-line with the Schools general marking criteria (grade descriptors) published in your programme handbook (see below).

Mitigating Circumstances:

This module carries a high credit weighting and makes up a major part of your degree programme, therefore this will be excluded from the Self-Certification Policy of the University for mitigating circumstances. Students cannot self-certify for mitigating circumstances for this module. However, if you are unable to complete the assessment (project) by the deadline, mitigation can be submitted as a Mitigating Circumstances request for review in the usual, normal way. Further information and instructions on how to submit a request can be found at the following: https://le.ac.uk/policies/regulations/mitigating-circumstances. If you have any further questions here, please contact the School Office under email address: ulsb.mitcircs@le.ac.uk

POSTGRADUATE GRADE DESCRIPTORS:

The module does not use stepped marking. This means that all marks from zero to 100 are available to your project, as explained below:

Mark Postgraduate Grade Descriptors

Distinction (A)

85-

100% Scholarship: Excellent application of a rigorous and extensive knowledge of subject matter; perceptive; demonstrates a critical appreciation of subject and extensive and detailed critical analysis of the key issues; displays independence of thought and/ or a novel and relevant approach to the subject; reveals both breadth and depth of understanding, showing insight and appreciation of argument.

Independent learning: Work draws on a wide range of relevant literature and is not confined to reading lists, textbooks or lecture notes; arguments are well supported by a variety of means.

Writing skills: Writing skills are excellent; writing is clear and precise; arguments are logical, well-structured and sustained, and demonstrate thorough understanding; conclusions are reasoned and justified by evidence.

Analysis: Work demonstrates a robust approach to analysis that is evident of a deep understanding of relevant concepts, theories, principles and techniques. For quantitative modules analysis is complete and entirely relevant to the problem.

70-84% Scholarship: Very good application of a rigorous and extensive knowledge of subject matter; demonstrates a critical appreciation of subject; displays detailed thought and consideration of the subject; reveals very good breadth and depth of understanding.

Independent learning: Work draws on a range of relevant literature and is not confined to reading lists, textbooks or lecture notes.

Writing skills: Writing skills are well-developed; writing is clear and precise; arguments are logical, well-structured and demonstrate thorough understanding; conclusions are justified by evidence.

Analysis: Analytical steps carried out carefully and correctly demonstrating that it is based on a sound understanding. Analysis is relevant to the problem and is complete and is placed in a clear context.

Merit (B)

60-69% Scholarship: Good, broad-based understanding of subject manner; makes effective use of understanding to provide an informative, balanced argument that is focussed on the topic; reveals some attempt at creative, independent thinking; main points well covered, displaying breadth or depth but not necessarily both; broadly complete and relevant argument;

Independent learning: Sources range beyond textbooks and lecture material and are used effectively to illustrate points and justify arguments.

Writing skills: Arguments are presented logically and coherently within a clear structure and are justified with appropriate supporting evidence; capably written with good use of English throughout; free from major errors; complex ideas are expressed clearly and fluently using specialist technical terminology where appropriate.

Analysis: Some minor slips in the steps of the analysis and some minor gaps in understanding of underlying principles. Analysis is relevant to the problem and mostly complete. A good interpretation which conveys most of its meaning.

Pass (C)

50-59% Scholarship: Some but limited engagement with, and understanding of, relevant material but may lack focus, organisation, breadth, and/or depth; relatively straightforward ideas are expressed clearly and fluently though there may be little or no attempt to synthesise or evaluate more complex ideas; exhibits limited independent creative thought; adequate analysis but some key points only mentioned in passing; arguments satisfactory but some errors and perhaps lacking completeness and relevance in parts.

Independent learning: Sources restricted to core lecture material with limited or no evidence of wider reading.

Writing skills: The question is addressed in a reasonably clear, coherent and structured manner but some sections may be poorly written making the essay difficult to follow, obscuring key points or leading to over- generalisation; competently written with a good use of English throughout (few, if any, errors of spelling, grammar and punctuation). Answers that have merit class qualities may fall into this category if they are too short, unfinished or badly organised.

Analysis: Minor slips and occasional basic errors in analysis. Underlying principles are mostly understood, but clear gaps are apparent. Analysis falls short of completeness and is a little irrelevant in place but a reasonable interpretation which goes some way to convey its meaning

Fail (D)

45-49% Minimum requirements have not been met.

Scholarship: Inadequate understanding of key issues and concepts; some material may be used inappropriately; uninspired and unoriginal; relies on limited knowledge; analysis poor or obscure, superficial or inconsistent in places; arguments incomplete, partly irrelevant or naive.

Independent learning: Restricted to a basic awareness of course material and textbooks; meagre use of material to support assertions.

Writing skills: Poor use of English exhibiting errors. Answer may be poorly focussed on the question, lack rigour and/or consist of a series of repetitive, poorly organised points or unsubstantiated assertions that do not relate well to one another or to the question, although some structure discernible.

Analysis: Inadequate knowledge of the analysis to be followed, with frequent errors. Some attention paid to underlying principles, but lacking in understanding and frequently irrelevant. Some interpretation is given, but it does not place the analysis in any real context

40-44% Scholarship: Poor knowledge of relevant material; omission of key ideas/material; significant parts may be irrelevant, superficial or factually incorrect; inappropriate use of some material; mere paraphrasing of course texts or lecture notes; key points barely mentioned; very weak grasp or complete misunderstanding of the issues; inclusion of irrelevant material; does not address the topic or question.

Independent learning: Restricted to a basic awareness or no awareness of course material and textbooks; very meagre use of supporting material or unsupported assertions; use of irrelevant or unconvincing material.

Writing skills: Unacceptable use of English (i.e. comprehension obscured by significant and intrusive errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar); poor and unclear, or totally incoherent, structure. Answers that run out of time or miss the point of the question may fall into this (or a lower) class.

Analysis: Erroneous analysis with mistakes. Very little attention paid to the underlying principles of the analysis. Far from complete with little relevance to the problem. Limited interpretation that reveals little, if anything, about the meaning

Fail (E)

20-39% Scholarship: Displays a superficial appreciation of the demands and broad context of the question but is largely irrelevant, fundamentally flawed, or factually incorrect; inappropriate use of material; mere paraphrasing of course texts or lecture notes; key points barely mentioned; complete misunderstanding of the issues; inclusion of irrelevant material.

Independent learning: Restricted to a limited awareness of basic course material; unsupported assertions; use of irrelevant or unconvincing material.

Writing skills: Minimal structure, though may only list key themes or ideas with limited comment or explanation.

Analysis: Analysis has very significant omissions demonstrating little understanding of problem or underlying principles. Analysis may be ill suited to problem. Very little interpretation of meaning of the analysis.

0-19% Scholarship: No recognition of the demands or scope of the question and no serious attempt to answer it. Complete misunderstanding of the issues; inclusion of irrelevant material. May have simply failed to address the question/topic set.

Independent learning: No evidence that the most basic course material has been understood; unsupported assertions; use of irrelevant or unconvincing material.

Writing skills: Without structure; comprehension may be completely obscured by poor grammar, spelling, punctuation.

Analysis: Virtually complete failure to carry out analysis. No evidence of understanding of underlying principles and bears no relevance to the problem. No attempt to interpret or explain the meaning of the analysis.

Appendix A: Project Title PageProject title:

Name & Student Number:

Submission deadline: 25 September 2024, 15.00pm (UK-time)

Project submitted to the University of Leicester in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MSc in Management or MSc International Management

Appendix B: Project Table of Contents FormatTABLE OF CONTENTSPage

Acknowledgements1

Executive Summary2

1. Introduction3

2. Literature Review9

2.1. Title of first section10

2.2. Title of second section13

2.2.1. Title of first sub-section

2.2.2. Title of second sub-section

3. Data and Methods25

3.1. Title of first section

3.2. Title of second section

4. Results45

5. Discussion and Conclusions65

References80

Appendix A Title of first appendix90

Appendix B Title of second appendix91

Appendix C: Gaining Research Ethics ApprovalAll MSc students, who are eligible to proceed to the project, are required to submit a research ethics application. Suggested date 10 June 2024.

The online Ethical Approval Form can only be completed at:

Work Area - Infonetica - Application Side (le.ac.uk)You will need to log in using your University username, prefixed by 'uol' (e.g. "uolabc123") and your password.

Further information for students (but also for supervisors) can be found here, including short videos, on how to fill in the online ethics application form:

Infonetica - Our Research Management System (sharepoint.com)Students will be reminded by their supervisors of the need to obtain ethical approval: Supervisors will also issue their students with at least three reminders of the need to gain ethical approval in order to undertake research. Failure to engage with the online ethics process will lead to the penalties outlined below being applied.

Failure to secure research ethics approval will result in a mark of zero with an opportunity to re-submit for a maximum grade of 50%. These penalties will apply to students who fail to apply for ethics approval, students who fail to complete their application for ethics approval and also students who secure ethics approval but deviate substantially* from the approved research design. First markers will identify that research ethics approval has not been secured. Students will be notified of the penalty when marks are returned. To re-submit students will need to apply for research ethics approval. Students will not be allowed to use data collected without research approval. It is expected that students who are awarded a zero for failing to secure research ethics will collect new data.

*substantially means that there is a significant change in the research design that alters the ethical risks and considerations in the research.

The application process begins by the applicant selecting their status (staff or student) and the name of the ethics authoriser (normally, their supervisor). The name of the authoriser varies for different applicants, because different applicants may have different supervisors. For more information on who can authorise different types of applications see the appropriate section below. Applicants can also download an Ethics Application Guide (in MS Word format), which provides a detailed description on how to complete each section of the Ethics Application Form.

Once the applicant selects Start Application they will be redirected to the next page where details of the project should be inserted.

Once the form has been completed applicants can choose to Save, Validate, or Send for Authorisation.

Once Send for Authorisation is selected this will validate the application. If the application is valid it will automatically send the application to the nominated authoriser specified in the application. To track progress on the application, select 'My applications' and ' + ' against the sent application.

The authoriser will receive an email that will direct them to the Ethics Approval Form site. They will then be able to review the application and take a decision on whether or not to approve the research. Once the authoriser selects approve application, the applicant receives an email confirming that Ethics Approval has been authorised. The applicant can then proceed with the research.

As part of the online Ethical Approval Form applicants are required to include/upload any additional information (e.g. participant information sheets, consent forms, questionnaires, debriefing material, correspondence, interview questions, and advertisements). This additional information is to be provided by you/to be uploaded by you through the same online system:

For example, if you plan to do primary empirical research through a questionnaire survey, then you must upload to the online Ethical Approval system an empty sample of the kind of questionnaire (questionnaire sample) you want to use; or

For example, if you plan to do primary empirical research through conducting interviews, then you must upload to the online Ethical Approval system a sample of the interview guide (the list of questions you want to discuss in your interviews with interviewees).

As indicated above: Further guidance for students and supervisors can be found here, including short videos on filling in the ethics application:

Infonetica - Our Research Management System (sharepoint.com)

Appendix D: Participant Information SheetIf you are doing a study involving human participants you must provide your participants with a Participant Information Sheet. This requirement applies, in particular, to the studies involving survey, interview and/or (participant or non-participant) observation. If you are required to use Participant Information Sheet, a copy of the sheet should be included as an attachment within your project.

The following Appendix provides a model Participant Information Sheet, which identifies the main points the sheet should cover. You should follow this model to develop your own Participant Information Sheet.

When preparing your own Participant Information Sheet, make sure that the information you provide is accurate, concise, clear and understandable from a laypersons perspective, and presented with your audience (prospective participants) in mind. Avoid abbreviations, jargon, technical terms, bias, coercion and/or any inappropriate inducements.

[Title of research study]

[Name of student]

School of Business, University of Leicester

Information for participants

Explain that the prospective participant is being asked to take part in a research project. For example, you could say: Thank you for considering participating in this study which will take place from [Date from/to].

This information sheet outlines the purpose of the study and provides a description of your involvement and rights as a participant, if you agree to take part. Before you decide on whether to take part, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully, discuss it with others if you wish, and decide whether or not you wish to take part.

What is the research about?

Set out the aim of this project/research, and also the methods to be used to collect information, in terms that will be understood by your intended participants

Why have I been chosen?

Explain how the participant was chosen and say how many other participants will be recruited.

Do I have to take part?

Explain that taking part in the research is entirely voluntary and that refusal to agree to participate will involve no penalty or loss of benefits to which the participant is otherwise entitled. For example: It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. You do not have to take part if you do not want to. If you do decide to take part I will ask you to sign a consent form which you can sign and return in advance of the interview/focus group meeting or sign at the meeting.

What will my involvement be?

Be clear about what participation will involve. Let the participant know how long they will be involved in the research, how often they will need to participate and for how long each time (if applicable). For example:

You will be invited to take part in a one-to-one interview which we estimate will take you minutes

You will be asked to complete a questionnaire which we estimate will take you minutes.

How do I withdraw from the study?

Explain the participants rights, along the following lines:

If you decide to take part, you have the right to stop being a part of the research study at any time without explanation. You have the right to ask that any data you have supplied to that point be withdrawn/destroyed.

You have the right to omit or refuse to answer or respond to any question that is asked of you.

You have the right to have your questions about the procedures answered (unless answering these questions would interfere with the studys outcome). If you have any questions as a result of reading this information sheet, you should ask the researcher before the study begins.

What will my information be used for?

I will use the collected information for. [describe as appropriate: project, etc.]

What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?

State any reasonably foreseeable discomforts, disadvantages and risks associated with the participation in the study. If there arent any, state that there are no known disadvantages or risks of taking part.

What are the possible benefits of taking part?

State any benefits to the participants that can reasonably be expected. For example:

Whilst there are no immediate benefits for those people participating in the project, it is hoped that this work will

Where there is no intended benefit to the participant from taking part in the project, this should be stated clearly.

It is important not to exaggerate the possible benefits to the particular participant during the course of the project, as this could be seen as coercive.

Will my taking part in this project be kept confidential?

State that all information collected about the participants will be kept strictly confidential and explain how information will be kept confidential. For example:

All the information that we collect about you during the course of the research will be kept strictly confidential. You will not be able to be identified in any reports or publications.

Where, due to the nature of the research, it may not be possible to safeguard the confidentiality of the data, state the reasons for this and explain the consequences to the participant of data not remaining confidential.

Will my taking part in this project be kept anonymous?

State the extent to which the individual participants may or may not be identifiable. For example:

The data I collect does not contain any personal information about you except (describe as appropriate)

No one will link the data you provided to the identifying information you supplied (e.g., name, address, e-mail) [describe as appropriate]

All digital files, transcripts and summaries will be given codes and stored separately from any names or other direct identification of participants. Any hard copies of research information will be kept in locked files at all times.

What if I have a question or complaint?

If you have any questions regarding this study please contact the researcher, [X], on [contact details].

If you have any concerns or complaints regarding the conduct of this research, please contact the University of Leicester Research Governance Manager via ethics@le.ac.uk

If you are happy to take part in this study, please sign the consent sheet attached.

Appendix E: Interview Consent Form[Title of research study]

[Name and contact details of student]

PARTICIPATION IN THIS RESEARCH STUDY IS VOLUNTARY.

I agree to taking part in the study YES / NO

I understand that I am free to decline to participate in this research study, or I may withdraw my participation at any point without penalty. My decision whether or not to participate in this research study will have no negative impacts on me either personally or professionally. YES / NO

I confirm that I have read and understood the information sheet provided for the above study. I have had the opportunity to consider the information and ask any questions I have. YES / NO

I understand that my data will be [specify how long (anonymised) data will be kept and whether it will be either maintained for future research, or destroyed at the end of the study.] YES / NO

I agree to the interview/focus group being audio recorded [delete if not being audio recorded] YES / NO

[Add additional statements for e.g. video recording, photographs, etc. if relevant] YES / NO

Please retain a copy of this consent form.

Participant name:

Signature: ________________________________ Date ________________

Interviewer name:

Signature:_________________________________ Date ________________

For information please contact: <<name and email address of student>>

Appendix F: Access LetterTo whom it may concern,

My name is XXXX (name and email address) and I am a postgraduate student on the MSc Management degree at the School of Business, University of Leicester under the supervision of XXXX (name and e-mail).

I am currently conducting research about XXXXX (aims, objectives).

I would like to conduct empirical research (interviews/questionnaires) on XXXX employees in XXXX (name of the organisation) during XXXX (date from / to).

The name of your organisation, all individual participants and the data collected will be kept confidential and anonymised.

If your organisation is willing to participate in the research, I kindly ask that a manager with the authority to give authorisation and consent signs under the statement below with their name, position and email address.

I hereby give my authorisation and consent to allow the abovementioned student from the University of Leicester to conduct the research specified and will gladly help him / her organise the interviews and/or questionnaire to the best of our ability. We also agree that all data collected must be kept confidential and anonymised

Name: ___________________________________Date: __________________

Signature: ________________________________

Position & email address: ____________________________________________________________

Appendix G: Project Pro-FormaPlease complete this Project Pro-Forma in preparation for supervisor allocation and in preparation of your first meeting with your supervisor:

1. Please submit your Project Pro-Forma (Appendix G) through the Blackboard portal for the Project Pro-Forma by 6 May 2024. You will find this portal on Blackboard under the following module code (If you cannot find the portal or this folder, please contact the School Office under email: ulsb.pgtstudy@le.ac.uk ):

MN7410_2023-24_Sept: Management Project TERM 3Or: MN7411_2023-24_Sept: Management Project TERM 32. You will be informed of your allocated supervisor soon afterwards, most likely in the w/c 13 May 2024.

3. In the w/c 20 May 2024: Please aim to make a first contact, by email, with your allocated supervisor by sending them a copy of your Project Pro-Forma. Then please arrange meetings with your supervisor and stay in contact with them.

Student name: Click or tap here to enter text.

Student number: Click or tap here to enter text.University email: Click or tap here to enter text.What is the topic of your project? (If you did MN7408: You can use the same topic here, but please avoid self-plagiarism as outlined above)Click or tap here to enter text.Why are you interested in this topic?